Greg Vogle


Greg Vogle is an American intelligence officer who served as the Director of the National Clandestine Service from January 29, 2015 until August 2017.

Career

Prior to joining the Central Intelligence Agency, Vogel served in the United States Marine Corps from 1981 to 1986. During his time in the CIA, Vogel worked with various parities in the United States Intelligence Community, including the United States Department of Defense. Vogel is now a Principal at McChrystal Group, an advisory firm based in Alexandria, Virginia. After retiring from the CIA, Gina Haspel selected Elizabeth Kimber, a 34-year career CIA agent, to succeed Vogel.

Rescue of Hamid Karzai

On October 9, of 2001 Hamid Karzai entered Afghanistan and linked up with his supporters to seize Tarinkot. Taliban forces launched a counterattack against Karzai's lightly-armed forces and he was forced to withdraw. On November 3, Karzai contacted a member of the Special Activities Center, identified only as "Greg V." who immediately acted by linking up Karzai and himself with his joint CIA/US Army Special Forces/JSOC team. From there, they made a nighttime insertion back into Tarinkot. Karzai then went from village to village seeking support to fight against the Taliban. On November 17, a large battle ensued. Several of Karzai's new recruits fled, but Greg V. took command and ran between defensive positions shouting, "If necessary, die like men!". The line held and as the Director of the CIA George Tenet said in his book Center of the Storm, "It was a seminal moment. Had Karzai's position been overrun, as appeared likely for much of November 17, the entire future of the Pashtun rebellion in the south could have ended."
Later on December 5, Karzai was leading his resistance force against the Taliban at Khandahar, their capital and one of their last remaining strongholds. Greg V. was the lead paramilitary advisor to Karzai in this battle when, as a result of a mistake in calculating an air strike, a bomb was dropped on their position. Greg V. threw his body on Karzai and saved his life. The same day Khandahar fell and Karzai was named the interim Prime Minister.